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New Containment Cap Reaches Oil Well

Feds revise deepwater drilling ban

By M. Morris,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 12, 2010 6:57 PM CDT

(Newser) – A new containment cap has just moved into position atop the ruptured oil well beneath the site of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and officials are taking a wait-and-see attitude about the new equipment, MSNBC reports. "Until we have the cap on, securely fitted in place, and know it's operating per the design, we have to recognize this is a complex operation," BP's COO said today, the 83rd day since the explosion that set off the worst environmental disaster in American history.

The new cap, which is tighter than the device it replaced, will undergo tests expected to take 6 to 48 hours, which will determine whether the well is still leaking in other places. "'At this point, there have been so many ups and downs, disappointments, that everybody down here is like, 'We'll believe it when we see it,'" said a charter boat operator. Earlier today, the Interior Department issued a revised deepwater drilling ban that will expire by Nov. 30, BusinessWeek reports.

In this image taken from video at 18:15 CDT, a deep-sea robot lowers a new containment cap over the broken wellhead at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, July 12, 2010.
In this image taken from video at 18:15 CDT, a deep-sea robot lowers a new containment cap over the broken wellhead at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, July 12, 2010.   (AP Photo/BP PLC)
In this image taken from video, oil flows from the broken well as a new containment cap hovers near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Monday, July 12, 2010.
In this image taken from video, oil flows from the broken well as a new containment cap hovers near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Monday, July 12, 2010.   (AP Photo/BP PLC)
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BP installs cap in attempt to stop Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but warns strategy may not work.   (Reuters)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
joyousjoym
Jul 13, 2010 1:59 PM CDT
i pray for All involved!
JoeQ
Jul 12, 2010 8:30 PM CDT
It is fairly likely that the well casing is damaged in a few places along its length from the original explosion. If they completely blocked the oil flow at the well head then the oil just finds another way to get out through cracks in the sea floor. They probably have to suck out all the pressure at the well head to prevent that from happening. BP seems to be sort of fuzzy on that detail.
kokuaguy
Jul 12, 2010 7:27 PM CDT
Crazy_baldheads is reporting on the Usergrid that it's working (yahoo news.) I pray that it's so, and that it holds, and that this NEVER happens again.

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